Smart Coffee Shop

There are more than a few nationally known coffee shops in Kyoto, and the Smart Coffee Shop introduced here is one of them. Founded in 1932, this coffee shop has a long history, having been in business for 92 years this year (2024). It is highly rated not only by old fans who know Kyoto from the past, but also by young people, as it was selected in 2021 and 2022 consecutively as one of the 100 best coffee shops on the “Tabelog” list.

Smart Coffee Shop offers a morning breakfast from 8:00 a.m. every morning, and there is a line in front of the store every day for this morning breakfast. I happened to have a free day in the morning the other day, so I took advantage of it and went to the restaurant for breakfast. Well…

The chic and luxurious interior of the place, reminiscent of a Swiss mountain cabin… this is what Smart Coffee Shop is like.

I arrived at Smart Coffee Shop just after it opened at 8:00 AM. At this point, the cafe was already full and there was a line of about 15 people outside. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that the day I arrived, but most of the people in line were foreigners. I wondered if this restaurant was introduced in any foreign travel guidebooks.

About 30 minutes after starting to wait in line, I went inside the restaurant. The total number of seats is 36 with 10 tables (there is also seating on the second floor, but the second floor seats cannot be used as a café), so it is not a very spacious place. However, the atmosphere of the cafe is very nice. The interior, which was designed in the image of a Swiss mountain cabin, is chic, luxurious, and warm… If you have a relaxing morning in a place like this, you can spend the rest of the day in a high-spirited mood. I can see why it is so popular among foreigners.

French Toast Set: How was the popular morning menu at Smart Coffee Shop when I tried it?

This time I ordered the French Toast Set (price: 1,300 yen including tax), a popular morning menu item at Smart Coffee Shop. After about 10 minutes of waiting, the French toast arrived in front of me…

The French toast looks very simple, with nothing superfluous. That is why it has a sense of luxury, dignity, and an aura of something special.

As for the taste… none of the flavors are outstanding, but everything is well-balanced and high-scoring. The bread is fluffy, with a light buttery aroma on the surface, and the egg mixture soaked into it just enough but not too much, and when putting it in the mouth, it has a rich eggy flavor with a hint of sweetness…it looks and tastes much more elegant, especially compared to French toast that is soaked in egg mixture. The accompanying maple syrup is also made with a moderate sweetness, so it can be popped into the mouth without feeling cloying until the very end.

The coffee that comes with the French toast is light and tasteless, with a slightly acidic rather than bitter taste. It is easy to drink and in no time at all, the cup is empty. The atmosphere of the coffee store is also very nice, so it is tempting to stay longer and have two or three more cups, which is dangerous in a sense… Well, since a single cup of coffee is not that expensive at 600 yen, it might be good to take your time and soak in the atmosphere of the store.

A French toast set at a smart coffee shop like this, 1,300 yen for a morning, is a bit tough for the average person, but I am sure the experience is worth the price. While it is not for everyday use, it is perfect for breakfast during a trip to Kyoto or when you want to make it a special day.

Lunch is served on the second floor… Access to Smart Coffee Shop is a 5-minute walk from the nearest station, Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line.

Smart Coffee Shop is open for lunch from 11:00 to 14:30 on the second floor. It is said to be a revival of a Western-style lunch that was once offered at the time of the establishment but has since ceased to exist due to the passage of time. The Smart Lunch (priced at 1,500 yen including tax), in which customers can choose two main dishes from a selection of nine main dishes such as hamburgers and crab cream croquettes, is particularly famous, and is so popular that a line of customers, separate from those using the cafe, forms in front of the restaurant every day. It seems that reservations can be made by phone for lunch on weekdays, so if you are in the Teramachi Sanjo area and want to try a Western-style meal, please give the restaurant a try.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

P.S. If you are looking for a cozy cafe in Kyoto, please stop by this article below…